At the entrance of the Student Beijing Design Exhibition stands a pavilion constructed of 17.000 cola bottles. It was designed by the Vienna and Beijing based multicultural design collective of Penda, and is appreciated not only on its artistic merit but also to spread a message of social awareness.
Its wonderful undulating form was inspired by the curving swirls on the Coca Cola logo, a reminder of the source of the empty bottles used for the construction of this public art installation. The bottles were sourced throughout the Beijing region through an initiative launched by Coca Cola China who agreed to exchange 10 empty bottles with one full bottle of their well known product.
The work of art reminds visitors of the prospective use of recycled plastic products and it is hoped that public awareness will be raised in China on the value and indeed the necessity of recycling. This visual message can be seen as a protest statement against the threat of plastic pollution of our environment.
